Hearing loss decisions — 2026

The Veteran's GERD is found to be secondary to his service-connected PTSD with alcohol use disorder.,There is no evidence of current right ear hearing loss for VA disability purposes.

The Veteran's lung cancer is granted a permanent and total disability rating effective January 9, 2025.,The Veteran's bilateral hearing loss is restored to a 20% rating effective May 10, 2025.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for hypertension is dismissed as the March 2025 rating decision granted it.,Service connection for bilateral hearing loss has been established, with the disability rated by VA standards and not by audiometric results alone.,Service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder (MDD) was denied. The Veteran's claim for a compensable disability rating for NASH is also pending.,The Veteran's non-compensable disability rating for NASH remains unchanged.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss as there is no evidence of a current disability, and the Veteran's claimed hearing loss did not develop due to noise exposure during active duty.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for an earlier effective date and a higher initial disability rating for her right ear hearing loss, finding that she did not meet the criteria for either claim.

The Board has denied the readjudication of claims for service connection for memory loss, damage to the inner ear, a balance disorder, and hearing loss disability as no new and relevant evidence was received.

The Veteran's claims for service connection for COPD, diabetes mellitus type II, bilateral hearing loss, left lower and right lower extremity sciatic nerve radiculopathy, left shoulder fracture of proximal humerus, status post ORIF, liver condition, and erectile dysfunction have all been denied.,Effective August 21, 2023, the Veteran was granted effective dates for service connection for left hip degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumatic, limitation of flexion; right hip degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumatic, limitation of flexion; left hip degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumatic, thigh, impairment of; and right hip degenerative arthritis, other than post-traumatic, thigh, impairment of.

The Veteran's service-connected disabilities render him unable to secure and follow substantially gainful employment, as they limit his ability to perform certain physical tasks and affect his communication abilities.

The Veteran's appeal for a TDIU from April 12, 2016 to March 22, 2018 was denied as the evidence did not show he was unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation due solely to his service-connected disabilities during this period.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities did not render him unable to secure or follow a substantially gainful occupation, and therefore denied his claim for TDIU.

The Board has determined that additional evidence is needed to properly address the Veteran's claims for an effective date prior to July 8, 2019, for service connection for right ear hearing loss and a compensable evaluation for service-connected bilateral hearing loss. The Veteran was granted service connection in March 2020 with an effective date of July 8, 2019, but the Board finds that there may be relevant outstanding treatment records to obtain.

The Veteran's tinnitus is granted service connection as it was related to in-service noise exposure. Hearing loss and vertigo are denied as the evidence does not meet VA criteria for hearing loss, and there is no established link between these conditions and service.

The Board denied service connection for bilateral hearing loss and retinitis pigmentosa, finding no evidence of a nexus to active service.

The Veteran's claim for service connection for bilateral hearing loss is denied because his hearing test results do not meet the criteria for a disability for VA purposes.

The Veteran's claim for a higher initial rating for bipolar disorder with cannabis use disorder is granted, effective October 24, 2021. The effective date for service connection for an acquired psychiatric disorder other than service-connected bipolar disorder with cannabis use disorder and a headache disorder is remanded.

The Board has determined that new and relevant evidence has been received to readjudicate the claims of service connection for bilateral hearing loss and tinnitus. The Veteran's claims are now remanded for further review by the AOJ.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left knee condition, bilateral hearing loss, right upper neuropathy condition, and acquired psychiatric condition other than his service-connected PTSD.,There is no current evidence of a diagnosed condition in any of these areas.

The Veteran's service connection for anosmia was granted with an effective date of April 25, 2016. The initial rating assigned is a 10 percent disability rating.,Anosmia has been awarded an earlier effective date of April 27, 2020.

The Board has dismissed the appeals regarding service connection for depression, generalized anxiety disorder, migraine headaches, sleep disturbances (insomnia night sweats), hypertension, and bilateral hearing loss disability due to a claims processing error. The Veteran's appeal as to these issues was improperly docketed.

The Veteran's appeal to extend the time to file a Board Appeal request for the denial of service connection for bilateral hearing loss was denied, and the attempt to appeal is dismissed.